Tuesday, 22 May 2012

Bristol Expo 2012 – “Room With a (déjà)View.”

“Observer”.
I reach 50 this year and this is what my role for Accent UK has
deteriorated into.
Observer.
You know I used to attend, help set up the Accent UK table,
chat, sell books anddrink lots of alcohol
with Colin. Hell a couple times I was even a creator (of sorts).
However this year Accent UK decided against taking a stand
at the Expo but Dave West and Colin Mathieson were curious to assess how the
Expo would run especially as the event returned to the previous and indeed
largest Venue – Templemeads.
So Colin asked me if I was attending and if so could I keep
my eyes peeled and report back to Accent UK HQ “somewhere” in deepest Cheshire.
Colin actually asked me rather nicely even though I knew that
Dave West at his most dictatorial had likely issued a directive to Colin along
the lines;
“I know we are not going Col! So tell Dingsdale to get his arse into
gear and get along there. Oh and tell him to send in a written report and to
use bloody spellcheck this time!”
Mr West is not a man to be trifled with. If you don’t
believe me just ask for his opinion of the 1981 “Conan the Barbarian” movie.
And then stand back.
So I checked the website www.bristolexpo.co.uk and found out
that the main guest was to be Denny O’Neil. Mr O’Neil is one of my Comic
Creator heroes. The man who reinvented Batman along with Neal Adams and (unfairly
not credited enough in my opinion) Frank Robbins, Irv Novick, Bob Brown and Jim
Aparo in the late 60’s early 70’s.
Also the man who wrote one of my favourite stories; “Night
of the Ninja” in The Shadow #6, which blew this (at the time) 11 yr old’s mind.
And so on and so on.
That sealed it for me.
True there were lots of other guests including familiar
faces who I know give up their time willingly and which the fans always
appreciate but it was the chance to hear Denny speak and maybe meet him, shake
his hand and offer a “thank you” for all the enjoyment he has delivered down
the years that cemented my desire to attend.
Coincidentally those nice people at Lucky Target Comics were
attending and after a quick exchange of emails they invited me to share their
rented apartment for the weekend.
(Whilst I am writing I urge you all to check out their
website www.luckytargetcomics.com and buy all your back issues from them. They
are lovely, knowledgeable people who like Comics as much as you or I.
Well Sumyra is. Darren is a nice bloke for a Yorkshire man but in keeping with his heritage he kept
inventing debts over the entire weekend for me to re pay to him.
Apples falling not far from trees etc spring to mind.)
I arrived in Bristol on
Friday Lunchtime from London.
Whilst in the course of a little sightseeing I looked for signs of the Con in
the City generally. Sadly I didn’t find any. No flyers in the bookstores or
street advertising.
Templemeads itself is an old Railway shed converted into an
exhibition space not surprisingly close to the main Railway Station and thus
well positioned for visitors to the City. As I waited for the Lucky Target crew
to arrive I couldn’t find any sign ofadvertising for events at the location, Comics Expo or otherwise which
seems a little like a wasted opportunity given the location and proximity to commuters
,visitors etc.
Anyway Sumyra et al arrived, parked up and we eventually made
our way to the rented apartment for the evening which further involved beer, a
takeaway Curry and a great deal of debate about who was sleeping where. Matters
were resolved following a debate that the host of Question Time would have
found challenging and we all retired for the night.
On Saturday morning we found out that Templemeads isn’t the
only place not well served by notices, neither are Bristol’s roads and so we arrived back at the
venue courtesy of an “ahem” circuitous route.
Setting up with Lucky Target it was clear that all the
Tables were booked. A very positive sign but outside the venue still no obvious
sign that anything was taking place in the Centre.
Attendees started to enter the hall at 10 am. The place
filled up slowly – there seemed to be a bottleneck caused by processing peoples’
web tickets so I was informed – but pretty soon there were plenty of people
browsing and buying.
If you have attended the Expo before then the layout and
format was familiar; dealers tables around the periphery of the room, with
independents grouped together and the ever popular “artists alley” for the
sketch heads.
Busy it was too. A special mention for all those creators
who turn up to meet the fans ,chat and fill comics, sketchbooks with signatures
and requests. I sometimes feel the creators on our shores don’t get the credit
they deserve for this.
I abandoned the hall after the first hour to wander across
to the Ramada hotel where the Panels and discussion group agenda is staged.
Again, familiar to anyone who has attended previously.
Tony Hitchman was offering one of his (now legendary) comics
quiz events. This years offering was “Reduced Heroes”. Now if you have never
attended one of Tony’s gatherings, you should because you are missing
something. Tony knows more about comics than just about anyone on the Planet
and his events are frankly hilarious. Tony, like many others gives his time and
effort each year and deserves a ton of credit.
Oh and I won the quiz. So there. (and yes it was hilarious!).
(Oh and before I forget Tony and co author Steve Bowkett
have written a Teachers Resource book on using Comics as a teaching aid called “Using
Comic Art to ImproveSpeaking, Reading
and Writing” – its on Amazon.co.uk - I
had a look – very impressive. Tony is an ex Headmaster – there, EVERYBODY knows
now!!)
The remainder of Saturday passed, the hall was very busy and
we eventually packed up at 5.30pm to go off into the City for a Thai Meal and a
far too short evening in the local hostelries. My old partner in crime Mr
Mathieson would have been ashamed. Really ashamed.
Sunday was more of the same. Traditionally the Sunday is
slower and quieter and this one seemed no exception. I helped set up and then
made an early exit to return to London
after a leisurely lunch in the City Centre.
On the way back I mused that the last 12 months has seen
Comic Conventions, Gatherings, call them what you will change in the UK. We have
seen the rise of the more media orientated event with Kapow! and The London Super Con. I
attended both and enjoyed both immensely.
At Bristol
there seemed to be a lot of talk as to whether the event would continue. I hope
it does. Yes the event is well established and yes Templemeads looks a bit
tired in comparison to ExCel and the London Design Centre but the whole thing
is still very enjoyable. I don’t know how the dealers fared but it seemed like
a success to me.
It's possibly the equivalent of that old sweater you pull on
when you get home from work.. Familiar and comfortable but still high on your
list of favourites. The organisers deserve a lot of credit for all their hard
work.
Finally I never got to meet or listen to Denny O’Neil, He
couldn’t attend due to illness but that didn’t matter, the event was good
regardless.
Get well Mr O’Neil maybe you can come to next years maybe?
And you’re still one of my heroes.
(report by Chris Dingsdale)

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Accent UK Stockists

Accent UK.

Founded in 2000, Accent UK is a privately owned comic publisher based in Cheshire in the United Kingdom.

Owners Colin Mathieson and Dave West collect the talents of the UK Independent Comic publishing community, along with guests from overseas, producing an annual themed anthology and self contained one shots.

Allowing the product to evolve each year, has seen an improvement in the over all quality of the comics produced as all involved hone their skills, and better use is made of technology, designers and printers.

Andy Bloor oversees all design aspects of the comics, graphic novels and website. Bringing a more professional look to all of our output.

We attend numerous conventions in the UK, are regulars at Denmark's KOMIKS.DK and New York's Mocca events.

All of our books are distributed through DIAMOND and available to order from PREVIEWS.

About Me

I'm your typical 20th Century bloke living in the 21st Century and wondering what's going on. I like to live in a world where there are still questions to be answered and mysterious happennings. My ideal magazine would be the result of combining Fortean Times with New Scientist ... and leaving it to the reader to interpret.
I work against IT during the day, and at night I try to steal moments to create comic books. Either as writer, artist or both. I've formed a small independent comic company in the UK, Accent UK, with Colin Mathieson, which produces quite well received annual themed anthologies, but is also now producing one shots. Comics that I've co-created and written include ''The Wolfmen'',''The Fall Of The Wolfmen'', with art by Andy Bloor and the 2009 EAGLE Award winning ''Whatever Happened To The World's Fastest Man?'' which was illustrated by Marleen Lowe. My own little doodlings appear in webcomic called ''Strange Times'' and the yearly anthologies.